RYDER CUP ’21: Facts & figures from golf’s most intense show

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This article was published 16/09/2021 (1780 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (AP) — Facts and figures for the Ryder Cup:

Event: 43rd Ryder Cup matches.

Date: Sept. 24-26.

The course: Built in 1998 by the late Pete Dye, Whistling Straits emulates a cliffside links course with two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, bluffs, sand dunes and natural fescue lining the fairways. It has hosted the PGA Championship three times, most recently in 2015.

Format: Four matches of fourballs (better ball) and foursomes (alternate shot) on Friday and Saturday, 12 singles matches on Sunday.

Points: Europe needs 14 points to retain the cup. The United States needs 14 1/2 points to win the cup.

All-time series: United States leads 26-14-2.

U.S. vs. Europe series (from 1979): Europe leads, 11-8-1.

Last time: Europe won on home soil for the sixth straight time, losing only the opening session. The result was 17 1/2-10 1/2, and the difference was the captain’s picks. Europe’s four picks combined to go 9-4-1. The U.S. picks were 2-10-0 as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau combined to go 0-9-0.

Captains: Padraig Harrington (Europe), Steve Stricker (United States).

European roster: Paul Casey, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Jon Rahm, Lee Westwood, Bernd Wiesberger.

U.S. roster: Daniel Berger, Patrick Cantlay, Bryson DeChambeau, Harris English, Tony Finau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas.

Postponement: The matches were delayed one year by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first one-year delay since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Tale of the tape: Team Europe has an average world ranking of 30. Team USA’s average ranking is 9.

Key statistic: The 12 players for Europe have combined to play in 168 matches compared with 49 matches for the American players.

Noteworthy: The Americans have the most Ryder Cup rookies (6) since 2008 and its youngest team ever with an average age of 29.

Quoteworthy: “If we don’t win the Ryder Cup, it’s not a good Ryder Cup for me.” — Sergio Garcia, who has won more points than anyone in Ryder Cup history.

Television: Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. (Golf Channel), 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, Noon to 6 p.m. (NBC).

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